my heart is the heart of a life
by sparklylulz
Summary: "You are a queen, Snow White. And I am nothing more than a petty Huntsman. This," he breathes against her lips, "this could never be." -Snow/Huntsman.


**a/n:** this is stupid and cheesy but i had to write out my feels oKAY

**_my heart is the heart of a life_**

-.-

The first blossoms of spring find their way to the surface shortly after the evil queen has been placed in her grave. Winter has ended, though lingering is the reminder that death must always give way to life.

Snow White finds herself outdoors most often, even as queen she can not bring herself to stand in a castle that holds nothing but empty and painful memories in the wake of her life. The apple trees smell like warmth, so she sits beneath them, admiring this place that she can now call _hers__._ The kingdom heals itself with a just and fair queen sitting on the throne.

The walls are scrubbed and all traces of evil begin to wash and fade, scars lighten and smiles are more frequent, but there is still a certain sadness extending from the queen herself. Her heart, so long sought after and fought for, can not be truly hers ever again. She knows this, knows it in the core of her, but she battles on through the pain of losing him.

He left shortly after her coronation, disappearing into the woods where they had met, with nothing more than his axes and a supply of water. She still feels him though, as they are forever bound through one small kiss.

Will waits on the peripheral for her, but she cannot give him what he longs for. Perhaps if they had not been separated - even then it wouldn't have been true. With every day the kingdom prospers and extends, though the citizens grow restless for their queen to marry and produce an heir while still young. The fear of another evil force weighs heavily in the back of their consciousness.

"He might never return," Will tells her softly one night as they admire the stars from her garden, his warm hand just inches from hers.

Snow gives him a small smile, "I have hope that he shall."

She waits an entire year before the Huntsman returns, dirtier than ever, his path only crossing hers outside the castle walls. Her orchard is even more extraordinary than the previous year, and she pulls the fruits of the tree's labor into her baskets.

"Your Majesty," his low voice expels, and in a fit of surprise and happiness her arms are around his neck and she's inhaling his scent, smoky and warm.

When she pulls away he cracks a small smile, but she blushes and looks down. "It has been many months since I last saw your face, you must forgive my hasty actions."

His laugh booms from him with a richness she can barely remember hearing before, and his warm hand finds her cheek with a tenderness he rarely showed.

"Why did you leave?" She sighs into his palm, her dark eyes closed, giving in to this serenity that she always feels near him.

He doesn't answer at first, allowing himself to feast upon her beauty once more and marvel at how she could have gotten more lovely in his absence. Laying the ax he's been carrying down next to her, he places his other hand on her face as well.

"You are a queen, Snow White. And I am nothing more than a petty Huntsman. This," he breathes against her lips, "this could never be."

She opens her eyes to meet his, "You believed that it could be once. Your love saved my life." She whispers gently back, trying to gage what his expression might hold. Mostly she finds sadness in his dark eyes.

"I do not and never shall deserve you, m'lady." The roughness to his voice could not sway her to move away from him, instead she leans in closer to his frame.

"I think that is my choice to make, sir, and you'll find I've already made up my mind." Her lips find his quickly, his warmth leaking into her body. Their mouths move in sync, and their bodies also, like this was always meant to be - two halves of one whole reunited at last.

They break apart with heavy breaths, but he clutches her face firmly, "You should be marrying someone better than a widower and a drunkard. You should be marrying William, he could make you happy."

She shakes her head angrily, pulling up one hand to touch his cheek. "No. He could not." She steps out of his grasp and turns to gaze upon the castle walls reflecting the last few rays of sunset. "When they told me it was your kiss that saved me, I knew. I knew there could never be another man for me, even if that meant I went to my grave an old shrew who never married. No one could love me with the intensity or hope such as you, and I would never find a more worthy man if even I looked all throughout this kingdom and the next.

"William is not that person, his lips could not reverse my silent heart. Only you, Huntsman, were able to do that. I do not care if you think you are beneath me, because I know that you are not."

He took a small step towards her, "I thought you were an angel the first time we met. Never had I seen such beauty, even in all of my years on this earth. You saved my life that day; saved it from bitterness and hatred and grief. How, then, could I have not fallen in love with you for that alone?"

She doesn't hesitate this time, the stubble of his chin tickling her own as she gives into her heart. His hands plant themselves firmly on her waist, his lips moving from her lips to her nose and cheeks and neck.

She only releases him when she cannot breathe, but he doesn't drop his grip from her. She leans into his shoulder, her dark hair in contrast with the white of his tunic.

"Do not leave me again." She says with a tone of finality, but he lets out a soft chuckle and laces his fingers in her hair.

"My queen, I never intend on being from your side ever again." He answers into her soft raven locks.

She smiles into his shoulder and takes in the air of spring, the hope kindled in her chest enough to touch the lives of all her subjects, who continue to live under the Queen and her King in peace and happiness for many of the years to come.


End file.
